Déjà vu, Goku thought to himself. Just like they had the night before, all of the Earth's heroes had come together: Goku, Vegeta and their families, plus Piccolo, Krillin, #18, Yamcha, Videl, Mr. Satan, and Mr. Buu. Only now the situation was much more grim than being forced into wearing a suit.
Along with Gohan and Trunks, Goku explained the events of the night, each from their own perspective. The tension hung heavy as everyone listened without comment. Bulma passed out drinks to those seated while they talked. Young Trunks and Goten, despite objections from their mothers, were also present to listen, though they seemed more interested in the man from the future.
Once they had finished, Krillin was the first to break the silence. "So we're fighting someone who's as powerful as Goku?"
"Actually," Trunks said. "We're fighting someone who is Goku. Or at least a clone of him."
"And there are two of them," Piccolo put in.
"That doesn't make me feel any better," Krillin muttered. "I thought after Buu, anyone else would be a walk in the park." He ran his fingers through his hair. "All this stress is killing my hairline; it took long enough just to grow it."
"We thought the same thing after Cell," said Bulma.
"And Frieza," Gohan added.
Yamcha downed his drink then held up a hand. "I actually have a question about that." All eyes fell on him. "These guys are stronger than Goku right?"
Goku nodded. "The clone I fought against was able to overpower me while I was a Super Saiyan. Apparently they can't transform, however."
"How is that possible, though?" asked Yamcha. "How can these clones be stronger than the guy they were cloned from?"
"I have a theory on that," Trunks said. "Because they're clones, they can only be as strong as Goku potentially is, right?"
"Right, that's what I just said."
Trunks didn't like Yamcha's tone, but chose to ignore it. "Let me ask you then, is there a limit to Goku's potential?"
Yamcha found himself at a loss for words. Everyone else was similarly stunned. Mr. Satan was the first to recover. "That means these guys could be invincible!"
"Congratulations," Vegeta said to Goku. "Your natural affinity for fighting has doomed us all."
Goku didn't reply.
"Unfortunately," Trunks said. "That could very well be the case. We know from our battles with the Artificial Humans that Dr. Gero had developed the technology to drastically increase the power of his creations. Paired with the clone's potential, we're in for an uphill battle."
Trunks's words sank in, creating an eerie silence.
"And that's not the worst of it," Bulma finally said. She held up a PDA. "I've managed to decode some of the file that Trunks brought back from the lab. According to the base schematics, these clones have undergone extensive DNA manipulation."
Of all those present, only Trunks looked like he knew what she talking about.
Bulma sighed and reorganized her thoughts. "We all have traits that make up our personalities. As we all know from experience, a trait common is Saiyan blood is an intense desire to fight. Through DNA manipulation, Dr. Gero has managed to turn this desire into an obsession, maybe even an addiction."
That much was crystal clear. Vegeta even seemed a little disturbed by the notion. "I guess they need something to do after they complete their mission," he muttered.
Videl spoke up. "Even if these clones are addicted to fighting, why would they want to kill? Shouldn't they be peaceful like Goku is?"
"They would be if Dr. Gero hadn't reversed the damaged that Son had suffered when he was an infant," Bulma said.
"What?" Videl asked.
Krillin snapped his fingers. "You're talking about the story Master Roshi told when Raditz showed up."
"When he was little, Dad used to be a problem child," Gohan said to Videl and her father. "His Saiyan tendencies made him impossible to raise. Then he fell into a ravine and nearly died. Obviously, he pulled through, but the brain damage erased his Saiyan aggressiveness."
Bulma picked up where she left off. "Gero assumedly obtained Son's DNA soon after he destroyed the Red Ribbon Army. As a result any personality defects would be present in the clones. So the doctor was sure to correct that. And now, their first target is Son."
"Essentially, these clones represent what Kakarrot might have been like had he not hit his head as a child," Vegeta summed up.
"Where you the same way?" asked Videl.
Vegeta nodded. "I did plenty of terrible things. Before the fight with Buu I was definitely slated for Hell." That last comment got Trunks's attention.
"So what caused you to change?" she continued.
Vegeta looked over at Bulma who returned his gaze with a quizzical look. "I got married," he finally said.
Quiet laughter broke out. It was a temporary relief from the smothering tension that filled the living room. Goku continued to remain silent. Chi-Chi gave him a worried look.
Piccolo brought up the next question. "Based on what that 'Master' clone said, he is obviously much more driven to kill Son than the other one was. Why is that?"
"I'm not sure why that is," Bulma said. "He was receiving information from Cell for the computer to use. Maybe some of his personality was received and integrated into his programming as well."
"At the very least it explains how he knew how to use the Instantaneous Movement," Vegeta said.
"And about the Time Machine," Trunks added. "He said he was able to speak to the servant clone via telepathy. My mother, I mean the Bulma of my timeline, told me that a brief dimensional shift occurred before the clone stole the Time Machine. That was probably the cause."
"Hang on," Mr. Satan said. "There are only two Time Machines right? So how did the Master clone manage to get here?"
"In all honesty, I have no idea," Trunks said. "The Time Machine can only hold one, so the servant couldn't have picked him up."
"I believe that I have the answer to that one."
The sound of the disembodied voice caused everyone to jump. Goku snapped out of his haze and looked up, like he could see beyond the ceiling and up to the heavens. "Is that you, King Kai?" he asked.
"Who else?" the voice replied."I've been following the events you've recently been involved in, and I believe I know how the Master was able to get to your timeline. Like Trunks said, a dimensional shift occurred in his timeline when the Master made contact with his servant.
"You were probably unaware, but a similar shift happened in your timeline, though instead of ripple in the barrier, something clawed its way across. I believe that the master managed to break through the dimensional wall using the Instantaneous Movement technique."
"That's impossible!" Yamcha exclaimed.
Vegeta grunted. "The master said that he understood how dimensional physics work. He could sense energy in different timelines, so as long as he had a ki to lock on to, then it is possible."
"That's my theory at least," King Kai added.
Silence again. This time, Goku broke it. "I think our chances are better than we think."
"Given all that we know, you really think so?" asked Krillin who was as surprised as everyone else by his best friend's claim.
"I do," Goku assured him. He stood up and looked at Vegeta. "I'll admit that during our fight, we were overpowered. But Vegeta and I were only fighting at the first Super Saiyan level."
Vegeta nodded. "We were holding back more than they were. If I had gone full out, the 'master' would've bowed before me."
"If we all fight together, then I'm sure we can beat these clones," Goku finished. The level of light in the room seemed to brighten, if only a little bit.
Trunks looked at the clock from where he sat on the bed and watched the seconds tick the night away. With all the Z-Warriors up to speed on the situation, it was decided that everyone would stay at Capsule Corp. until the clones resurfaced. Bulma had been happy to provide her future son with a room to sleep in.
He was struck by how different the building was compared to the one in his timeline. The Artificial Humans had destroyed most of Capsule Corp during their initial rampage through Metro West. Now that his time was at peace, the building had been rebuilt, but much of the floor plan had been reworked. In his Capsule Corp. this spare bedroom was a utility room.
There was a creaking noise. Trunks looked over to the door and could see his young counterpart peeking through the now open crack. Their eyes met, causing the young boy jumped.
"It's okay," future Trunks said. "You can come in." He made a beckoning gesture. Young Trunks slowly walked in and looked up at him with eyes full of wonder.
"Hi," he said.
"Hello," future Trunks replied. He noticed another figure standing in the doorway. It was Goten. Gohan has a younger brother; he still couldn't believe it. The young Trunks spoke up bringing his attention back.
"I remember you," he said. "A little bit. Mom also told me all about you. Whenever I do something bad, she says I should act more like you."
"Sorry about that," future Trunks said, rubbing the back of his head. "But that doesn't stop you from loving her, does it?"
"Of course not," young Trunks said. "I love both my parents."
Future Trunks smiled. Changing the past had been worth it after all. "Why don't you tell me a little more about yourself?" he asked.
Young Trunks's face lit up. He began to speak excitedly and randomly while changing topics every few seconds. Future Trunks listened attentively, happy to learn about his counterpart. Suddenly he stopped talking, like something just popped into his head. "I'll be right back!" he said and ran out of the room, nearly running over poor Goten.
"Are you alright?" future Trunks asked. He crossed over to the door and helped the poor boy to his feet.
"Y-yeah," he stuttered.
"I won't tattle on you, but don't you kids have a bedtime?"
Goten flushed. Before he could say anything, young Trunks returned holding a sheathed sword. "Take a look at this!" he exclaimed.
"Is that…" Future Trunks whispered. He took the sword and examined it. There was no mistaking it.
It was Tapion's blade.
A painful memory shot through his mind. Tapion kneeling before him offering him his sword, grunting in pain as the completed Hirudegarn struggled to escape his body. Future Trunks could remember the hero begging him to take the sword, and strike him dead. He could remember taking the sword and lifting it high above his head, and then…impaling through the chest.
He tried to shake away that final image of Tapion dying with a smile on his face. In the end, it had been the only way; neither he nor Gohan had been closed to strong enough to fight Hirudegarn. Still, the man had been a mentor and a friend to him during the brief time they had known each other. Being forced to kill him had signaled the end of Trunks's innocence.
He looked at his young counterpart. "Who gave this to you?" he asked, trying to keep his voice calm.
Young Trunks didn't seem to notice the change in his mood. "It belonged to a hero named Tapion. He helped us fight this monster called Hirude-something."
"Did he survive?" Future Trunks asked.
The boy nodded and pointed to the sword. "He gave this to me as a going away present."
Future Trunks smiled again. Everything truly was better in this timeline.
Chi-chi woke up to find the space next to her empty. She slowly sat up and looked around the guest room. The new gi she was making was sprawled over a lounge chair where she left it. Her husband was nowhere to be seen.
Then a cool draft drifted by. The room was on the third floor of the main building, so it had a balcony. The door was ajar. Chi-chi pulled on a robe and walked outside.
Goku was standing at the railing, looking up at the stars. He still had the stoic look he had been wearing all night.
"Are you alright?" she asked. The sound of her voice caused Goku to jump.
He looked back at her. "Oh, Chi-chi. You should be asleep."
"I could say the same thing to you," she replied. Goku didn't say anything. Chi-chi sighed and decided to come out and say it. "Goku-sa, what's bothering you? You've been in a gloom ever since you came back."
Goku turned around and looked at her with boyish eyes. "This entire situation has been a little unnerving for me," he said. "I've spent my entire life trying to keep this world I love safe, but now I might be responsible for its destruction."
"You can't believe that," Chi-chi said. "Those clones may have your DNA, but they're not Son Goku." She walked up to him and embraced him. He didn't return the gesture.
"That's not all," he continued. "Every once in a while, I'll have a nightmare where I'm fighting one of my old enemies. It's Frieza or Cell, or someone else. They beat me down then they go on to hurt you and the boys. The thought of these dreams coming true scares me, but now the idea of me causing you pain is even worse."
Chi-chi pulled closer. "I wish you had told me about this," she said. "No matter what happens, I know that you'll never hurt me or the boys. So you don't need to be afraid."
Goku looked down at his wife. Her words helped calm the uneasiness he felt in his gut. He reached his arms up to return her embrace.
"Greetings, Son Goku."
Goku jerked. Chi-chi looked up at him. "Everything okay?" she asked.
"I suggest you say 'yes.'"
"Yeah, I'm fine," Goku said. "Why don't you go back to bed? I'm much better now. I'll be there in a minute." Chi-chi was quiet, but nodded and returned inside.
All alone, Goku focused in on the voice. "The 'Master,' right?" he said quietly.
"That's right. I think now would be a good time to settle our little scuffle. I'm waiting just outside Metro Central. Come alone, or I'll kill half the city's population. To make things easier, I'll even allow you to lock on to my ki."
A small but familiar energy signal appeared. Goku could feel his anger rise. "Bastard…"
"Like I said," the master replied. "Come alone." Then the connection cut.
Goku gripped the balcony's railing until it warped. He looked back at the bedroom where his wife was waiting. "I'm sorry Chi-chi," he said. Then he pressed two fingers to his forehead and locked on to the Master's ki.
A second later he was gone.